Family Complete
by lorrie
Summary: Gage and Sydney embrace the arrival of their newborn and the adoption of their son.


"Family Complete"  
By: Lorrie  
  
The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, etc., but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)  
  
NOTE: This story is a continuation of "Promises Kept".  
  
  
Sydney, Gage and Chris said anxiously in Alex's office waiting to sign the papers that would finalize Chris' adoption.  
  
Alex returned to her desk. "OK, all the two of you need to do is sign these paper, Karen will notarize them, then Chris will legally be Christopher Allen Garrison Gage. That is the way you wanted his name, right?" Alex asked.  
  
"Yeah, we talked it over with Chris and he wants to keep the name his parents gave him, but he wants my name too." Gage smiled at Chris.  
  
Gage and Sydney signed all of the papers then Karen notarized each. "Congratulations, you have a son." Alex smiled.  
  
"And I have parents again." Chris beamed.  
  
Gage reached his hand across Sydney's very pregnant tummy. "And a daughter on the way." Gage and Sydney both grinned at each other. "Thanks for everything Alex. We had better get going. We promised Chris that we'd all go out for a special dinner tonight and he could choose where."  
  
"I'd really like pizza." Chris said.  
  
"OK buddy, pizza it is." Gage replied.  
  
"Can you digest pizza Gage?" Alex asked. "I mean you've only been out of the hospital a few months." Alex was embarrassed at how motherly she sounded. Gage was a grown man with a family; he knew how to take care of himself.  
  
"Well, it's been a little over six months, but you're right Alex, I am still supposed to stay away from greasy foods, but I think I can manage one or two slices of pizza. I'll just take the pepperoni off." Gage smiled.  
  
"You had better start listening to your doctor." Sydney replied as Gage and Chris headed out the door.  
  
"Hey Gage, you forgot your cane." Chris grabbed Gage's cane and brought it to him.  
  
"I would have missed it when I got to the stairs."  
  
"Sydney, how is Gage doing, really?" Alex asked.  
  
"The doctor said he's pleased with his recovery, but his stomach and his abdominal muscles still have quite a bit of healing to do. He won't release him for full duty until he's satisfied that he has full muscle control."  
  
"That's why he's still limping?" Alex inquired.  
  
Sydney nodded. "The bullet exited just above his right hip bone, it actually chipped the bone. Anyway, his ab muscles still can't totally support his torso, so he needs the cane most of the time."  
  
"How about his head?"  
  
"That's the part that worries me the most. He gets an awful headache almost every night and sometimes he loses his vision in his right eye for awhile."  
  
Alex looked surprised, "What did the doctor say about that?"  
  
"Only that he'd keep a close watch on it, but that it should clear itself up. Alex, I had better catch up to the guys before they leave without me."   
  
Sydney left Alex's office and joined Gage and Chris. "There my two men are." Sydney exclaimed as she found the guys sitting on a park bench outside of the building.  
  
"We're just waiting for you," Gage took Sydney's hand. "Alright, who's ready for pizza?"  
  
"I am!" Chris yelled.  
  
"Let's go then." Gage and Sydney held hands as they headed for the car. He opened the door for her, and then double-checked Chris seatbelt before slipping into the driver's seat.  
  
After they finished their pizza they went home. Gage and Sydney talked while Chris got ready for bed. "You know what?" Gage asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I am so happy right now."  
  
"Me too." Sydney kissed him gently. "Mmm." Sydney touched her stomach.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Just a light contraction."  
  
"Contraction!" Gage's eyes suddenly were very wide. "Now?"  
  
"Relax. It's probably just false labor. Let's go lay down."  
  
A few hours later, Sydney was restless; she got up and went to the kitchen. Suddenly she felt an odd warm moisture gush from inside her. "Oh my God. My water broke." She made her way back to the bedroom and shook Gage. "Gage, Gage! Wake up. I've got to get to the hospital. Gage wake up!" Finally Gage began to stir.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My water just broke and I'm having contractions. We need to get to the hospital now!"  
  
"Now!"  
  
"Yes, now! Call Alex and see if it's OK if we bring Chris over there." Gage called Alex.  
  
"Walker will pick up Chris, that way you guys can head straight for the hospital." Alex suggested when Gage let her know that Sydney was in labor.   
  
Walker arrived shortly after Gage hung up the phone. "OK buddy, when we come back home, you'll have a baby sister. Sound good?" Gage asked.  
  
"Sound great! I love you guys."  
  
"We love you too Chris. Be good for Alex and Walker."  
  
"I will, don't worry."  
  
"Gage, do you have my bag?"  
  
"Right here. How are you doing?" Gage asked.  
  
"I'm fine. Aahh!" Sydney screamed as another contraction hit her.  
  
"Breath baby, breath." Gage instructed. "He-He-Hoo, He-He Hoo."  
  
"He-He-Hoo, my butt. I want pain medication now!" Sydney yelled.  
  
"Let's go." Gage put his arm around Sydney as the contraction subsided. "Oh great. It's raining!" He helped Sydney into the back seat of the car and buckled her seatbelt, then slid into the driver's seat.  
  
"Are you OK?" Gage asked again as he pulled away from their apartment.  
  
"For now." Sydney replied.  
  
Gage carefully headed towards St. Matthews hospital. He had decided to take the back roads into the city, thinking that they would be less crowded and he could make better time. Suddenly a deer smashed into the rear of their car causing Gage to skid, out of control across the highway. Their car hit a tree head-on.  
  
"Gage! Gage!" Sydney screamed from the backseat.  
  
Gage slightly moaned. "Syd," he said softly, gradually regaining his senses. "Oh God! Syd! Are you OK?" Gage asked frantically as he put his hand up to his forehead and wiped the blood from his brow.  
  
"I'm not hurt. You?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm good."  
  
"The baby's coming!" Sydney screamed. Gage whipped out his cell phone and dialed 911. He identified himself as a Texas Ranger and quickly explained the situation.  
  
"Ranger Gage, have you ever delivered a baby before?" Asked the person on the other end of the line.  
  
"Just a colt; does that count?" Gage nervously laughed and looked at Sydney.  
  
"No, that doesn't count! I'm no horse and this is your baby that's about to be born!" Sydney hissed.  
  
"Ranger Gage. I need for you to examine your wife and see how far she's dilated. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yeah, stand by." Gage got serious and carefully helped Sydney lay down in the backseat and put her knees up. He gently checked her. "She's about 10 and I can see the baby's head." Gage reported.  
  
"OK, on her next contraction, she needs to push. Let me know when the baby crowns."  
  
"OK. Sydney push! Come on baby, you can do this. Push!" Gage commanded.  
  
"Oh Gage it hurts. I really want that epidural!" Sydney pushed with all her might.  
  
"OK, relax, relax. You're doing fine." Gage reassured Sydney.  
  
"Ranger Gage?"  
  
"The baby's crowning." Gage replied.  
  
"OK, you'll need to ease the shoulders out. Don't let Sydney push while you're doing this." Gage followed the instructions to the letter, soon the baby let out a healthy cry.  
  
"WAAH!" Sydney and Gage both cried at the sight of their beautiful baby girl. Gage wrapped her in the receiving blanket they had packed for the trip home and placed her in Sydney's arms. Soon the paramedics arrived and cut the umbilical cord. They took the baby to the ambulance and carefully removed Sydney from the back seat of the car.  
  
Gage winced and put his hand to his head, hoping he was out of Sydney's sight, but he wasn't.  
  
"Gage? You're bleeding."  
  
"I know. I think I hit my head on the steering wheel when we wrecked."  
  
The paramedics loaded Sydney and the baby into the back of the ambulance. Gage was allowed to ride up front after the paramedic bandaged his head. "Ranger, you need to make sure one of the doctors take a look at your head when we get to the hospital. I think you might need a few stitches."  
  
"I will, as soon as my wife and daughter are settled in."  
  
Sydney and the baby were immediately taken up to the maternity wing, while Gage was stuck in the ER getting his head stitched up. "Ranger, you'll be a little light headed for the next several hours."  
  
"Thanks." Gage replied as he headed off to find Sydney.  
  
"Where's my husband?" Sydney asked the nurse as she settled into her bed. The nurse shrugged her shoulders. Just then Gage appeared in the doorway with a dozen roses and a stuffed teddy bear.  
  
"Hi gorgeous."  
  
"Hi yourself." Sydney smiled. "Have you seen the baby?"  
  
Gage nodded. "They're bringing her down in a few minutes for you to feed her. Sydney, she's so beautiful."  
  
Sydney nodded in agreement. "What are we going to name her?"  
  
"I thought we had decided on Katie."  
  
"What about a middle name? I like Leigh or Ann."  
  
"How about Lynn?" Gage said.  
  
"Katie Lynn Gage. I like it." Sydney replied.  
  
The nurse brought the baby in and put her first into her daddy's arms. "She's so tiny." Gage said with tears in his eyes. "Hi little Katie," Gage cooed as he held his daughter close. "I bet you're hungry aren't you?" Gage gently laid the baby in Sydney's arms.  
  
"Have you called anyone? Walker and Alex, Trivette, Julie?" Sydney asked.  
  
"I haven't had a chance to call anyone yet." Gage put his hand up to his head suddenly feeling light headed. He quickly sat down in the chair by the bed.  
  
"Honey, are you OK?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Just a little dizzy." Gage said weakly.   
  
Sydney buzzed for the nurse. "Can you get something for my husband, he's feeling light headed. He just had his head stitched up in the ER." The nurse returned moments later with a couple of aspirin and two cold packs, one for Gage's head and one for Sydney to help ease the stinging pain she was beginning to feel after giving birth.  
  
Walker, Alex and Chris came into Sydney's room moments after the nurse left. "Hey you tow. We called the hospital and they told us what happened." Alex said as she sat down beside of Sydney. "Oh Sydney, Gage, she's beautiful." Alex moved the blanket away from Katie's face to get a better look.  
  
Gage sat in the chair with his head leaned back, ice pack firmly in place on his forehead. Walker tapped him on the knee. "Congratulations dad. How's your head?"  
  
"Thank Walker. My head's OK. I bumped it when we wrecked."  
  
"I called your sister and Trivette and Josie before we left, I hope you don't mind. They'll be here as soon as they can. Julie said she would leave tonight."  
  
Trivette and Josie arrived shortly. "There he is, Dr. Gage. So how does it feel to deliver your own baby?"  
  
"It was a breeze for me. Syd's the one who had it rough." Gage reached for Sydney's hand. "Guys, she's really tired. Could we spend a little time alone with Katie and Chris?" Everyone agreed that the new family needed time alone and left the room.  
  
"So Chris, what do you think about her?" Sydney asked.  
  
"She's so little." He touched her hand.  
  
"Do you want to hold her?" Gage asked.  
  
"I might break her or something."  
  
"No you won't buddy. Here, sit down." Gage brought Katie over and laid her in Chris' arms.  
  
"She's so quiet."  
  
"Alex assures me that that changes as soon as you get them home." Sydney replied. "Guys, I'm really tired."  
  
"Me too." Gage replied. "Chris, let's give Katie back to Sydney and see if we can find Alex and Walker, you'll stay with them tonight, OK?"  
  
"OK. Can I ask you guys something?"  
  
"Sure honey, anything." Sydney answered.  
  
"Well, you guys are my parents now and since I'm a big brother to Katie, I wouldn't want to confuse her by calling you guys Gage and Sydney. So, I was sort of wondering if it would be OK if I called you mom and dad?"  
  
"Would it be OK? It would be great!" Gage exclaimed hugging his son. Chris smiled.  
  
"Good night Katie. Good night, mom." Chris said as he and Gage left the room.  
  
"So there you are. Ready to go Chris?" Walker asked. Chris nodded.  
  
Just as they were leaving, Chris turned towards Gage. "I love you dad."  
  
"I love you too, son."  
  
THE END  
  
  



End file.
